Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to the Master Detective level of fifteen dollars or more per month. Thank you
so much for your support, Rachel. And now it is time for this
week's episode of Dragnet. The original aired eight April thirteenth, nineteen fifty and
the title is the Big Watch. The story you're about to hear is true,
only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective
sergeant. You're assigned to Robbery Detail. Vicious gunmen have committed assaults, robberies,
attempted murders. They're victims. Army officers station in your city, your
job. Get them. Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you
will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case,
from official police files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Wednesday,
February third. It was cold in Los Angeles. We're working the Night
Watch out of Robbery Detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad
Brown, Chief of Detectives. My name is Friday. It was one forty
five am when we got to Highland Park Division Booking Desk. Hi Shepherd,
Hi Friday, Ben, Hi brings you out here. We've got one of
the books. Ye if you want to do the owner. Okay, just
a minute, Oh I sharpen this pezzle right all right, Jackson, take
it easy, yeah, I lax. Huh jerks, okay, yeah,
let me get a new form in the machine. All right. What's your
name? Roy Jackson? DRIs four to fourteen, Alabama Street age twenty three.
Location of r S seventeen thirty West hill an Old Ranger taverner Uh.
Time of rest uh eleven twenty five pm. I chared your suspicion to eleven
pc PC. Come on, come on, let's get yourself away here.
You got lots of time. Let's check your property. Alright, Jackson,
everything out of your pockets. I'm on the desk. What about my kids?
You won't need him for a while. Put'em on the desk.
Uh, you forgot your watch? Take it off, all right? Yeah?
That ring too, Yeah? That everything. I'll shake him down.
Yeah, that's everything. Okay, let me list it here. One brown
man's wallet contents, I'll call him off. Yeah, huh okay, one
black pocket, comb, a comb at that, one key chain and ring
with two five keys. Good luck, chime on it, five keys,
good luck for Yeah, let's see, there's ten. Let'em eleven dollars
and sixty three cents in cash, eleven six three one man's wristwatch, uh
Waltham. One man's ring you got there? Yeah, yellow metal, a
ring ring on a white stone. It's a diamond ring. That's god.
One man's fountain pen. Fountain pen, that's it. Yeah, okay,
Uh, just put all stuff now, Hope, Okay, Uh get me
a bookie number one. You're Jimmy. There's a receipt for your stuff,
Jackson itemized. Yeah, here's your coffee fellas, thanks yap, murd icks.
How a god one for you? You gotta slip on? Yeah,
here him, let's go. It's a minute. You've got nothing else to
say. Hunt Jackson been yapping at me for two hours. I told you
all. I'm gonna tell you. Six robberies, six assaults, three attempted
murders. It's a tough, rapid standalone. What about your palace? You've
got my story? Okay, take him? Oh m Stummer. Yeah,
we better get the arrest on a teletaph. Alright, h what two a
m. And it's a long day when it's fat brown coming in the door.
Yeah, alright, gee, Ahi, what are you doing out here
this time of the morning. I'm my way home, but I'll drop by
and call the office forgot something about Jackson do any good? Not much,
He's got a story. He's take him to it. Where'd you pick him
up? Bar on Hill Street? When he booked him here? It's out
of the way. Jackson finger into the game, Yeah, questioned him two
hours. Hm you either you gotta smoke? No? Yeah, there you
go. Well, let's uh, let's go in this office. Sit lemn
it's a good idea. I feeder kin and it'll be hard to figure this
thing, all right? Yeah? Thanks, gang are chief hoods armed with
the teeth, slugging and shooting their way around town, coming from all directions.
We got it fairly well narrowed down. And nine out of the ten
jobs they pulled they operated either in San Pedro, the central area, or
hollingback. Still haven't any idea where they pick army officers for their victims.
If Jackson wouldn't tell us, why are they're most still the same? You
haven't switched. I had a bit the hold up men and still dress his
arm army enlisted men. They steal a car off a right to officers,
slug'em, rob'em, and shoot'em. Same thing ten times over.
If the army check their personnel out at the fort. Keep them tabs
on as close as possible. I don't think it's a work when they BONAFI
and listed then though, uh, we'll haul out Jackson. Talk to him
again in the morning. Maybe be ready to tell us something by then.
Stay out'em. If you need any more men from Metropolitan to help out
'em the same limit, know, okay Ski put them in good claw and
at home late. Yeah, vacation at what was it cold? Three Chef
thirty first of stabforged two eleven and shooting Chief Brown, Ben and I got
to the scene at two twenty am. An ambulance was already there, along
with two cruiser cars and a half a dozen curious onlookers. Lying face down
on the dirt road about fifteen feet off Stanford Avenue was a man dressed in
an army officer's uniform. He wore first lieutenant bars. His blouse had been
half ripped off, and the side of his face was bruised and swollen.
The back of his head showed the results of a vicious beating. There were
two bullet wounds in his left shoulder. A few feet away. Sprawled out
on his back as a major he'd been brutally beaten, but he was still
conscious. While the ambulance attendants gave first aid, we questioned him briefly.
Both bodies were lying thirty feet from the interurban railway tracks. We love for
telling you saw it happened. Hit me on the off the gun can't talk
you well, no, don't pryly good at me. How was Lieutenant Kelly?
He was with me. They were okay, they're getting him in the
ambulance. We were a hitch hiking down town, Kelly and me, two
men and the Gray Sadan kicked us up. He said we were going back
to Fort. All of the men dressed to remember. Too much noise when
you say, always that with ping e train going by? Now, can
you tell us about it? Mister man? When is it? Tech?
Sergeant and on a private he said, They drive us back to Fort had
a Gray Sadan pony. Excuse me, no, sure, I'll have to
take care of those face wounds. Get him go ahead. Okay, did
you see the license number on their car? Too dark? Now? Gray
Sadan pull gun stop the car here? Good gun money everything that's so sting
a little? Yeah, that's good. You think you'd reckon there's the men.
If you sewe him again? One was tall six two I guess think
I know. They shot Kelly, tried around, they shut him. How
is he he's okay? Is there anything else you can tell us about the
man? Ambulance is ready? Or take him? We can talk to him
later. Ali rah, yeah, easy, okay, okay, back,
it's not getting any better. I sure like to cut him up. Don't
they go to good set of footprints over there, tire impressions. Better call
the crime run. Yeah, two men and a good shitan. How does
that mess up? The sink them all army officers. But on the gunman?
Was tall? Anything tell you? But most of the other victims games
that description. Either the same tall guy works most of the jobs or he's
got a twin brother. He stat's office. Make a run on the description
for you for a different times. Nothing. I better get this new information
on the air out of way. Yeah. We steal a different car for
every job. In the morning after we find the car usually clean, no
prints. This thing doesn't d up in my book. Army officers aren't loaded
with them, I said, Army officers aren'tloaded with doe. These punks are
after something else beside your money. What do you mean for every dollar of
the steal, they break a bone? How does that ship up to you?
Do you think they like to draw bled? I think so. I
think they're pointing for murder. What's the motive? Chief forgot the motives.
I don't care what their reason is. Somebody's robbing and shooting. It's our
job to stop them. It's in trouble with motives. How I mean they
always show up. After the murder, two forty am crime lab crew arrived
and went to work searching the area for evidence and taking casts of the footprints
and tyrant presses. The Chief of Detectives, Ben and I drove back to
Georgia Street Receiving Hospital in time to watch the doctor remove two thirty eight caliber
slugs from the shoulder of one of the victims from his ID bracelet. He
was identified as Harold Kelly, first Lieutenant Signal Corps, US Army. The
other victim was Major Richard Farmer, Signal Corps. I intiled the slugs for
evidence, and then we drove back to the crime lab and dropped them off
the next morning before they were transferred to a military hospital for further treatment.
We talked with Lieutenant Kellyan Major Farmer builled out a robbery report and won for
a crime against person. Five minutes past ten, we checked back into robbery
details. Better see if we can get us to noog If wen yus a
out of paperwork to get you up for Yeah, I'm gonna have to learn
short now, Joe, Yeah, yeah, mana a minute, will you
ry picked up the gray sedan using that job last night? Where out on
Laguna about a block for Maco Park. They find any nothing. The boys
from Layton Fingerprints called just before you came in. They dusted the car inside
out. No, look that Roy Jackson we picked up last night as almice.
I've got the stake out on his boardment Yeah, Freemont and ta trick.
Nothing yet. What do you find out at the hospital this morning?
Well, we talked to Lieutenant Kelly and that major Farmer again still in bad
shape. You have anything to add now? We got their crime reports and
a list of the property take and gave it to pawn shop Detail to put
on the stolen property list. What are the hold up men doing with all
the stuff they grabbed? Watches, cigarette cases, men's jewelry, so all
on the stolen property list on shots have been a letter. It's not showing
up robbery. Walker. Yeah, just a minute you Joe, thank you
right, Jelly m m Yeah, we'll need it. Bye. Lee Jones
just ran a make on the two slugs they took out of a lieutenant's shoulder.
Yeah, they came from the same gun that wounded four of the other
victims. Figures. How about the footprint cast they took out there last night?
Now, it didn't work out, Lee said. He tried matching him
up with that set of prints we came across on that job Sunday. There's
no match. All right, Gee, iad sit down. Thanks filled them
in yet, Walker, Ya just getting over last night's case. What do
you got? Welcome and we're talking over this morningful You two checked in about
these hitchhike banded jobs. Yeah, tried everything short of a blockade. You
grab the hold up men, obvious is not working. About the army brands,
They're doing all I can already, it's up to us. I'm gonna
need more men and better coverage. What are you figuring on? System decoys
planeted around the city in nearby area, these hitchhike band it's been operating again.
Take a lot of men, isn't it be worthed? It pays off.
About fifty or sixty men should do it. They'll be dressed as second
lieutenants all the way up to colonels. They'll travel in pairs. They're going
to bunk out at the fort. If we're going to arrange it, you
know it'll be instructed to hitchhike your way around town. Bulkham will operate between
eight pm and six am. What kind of support the guy have you?
Men and robbery homicide. I'll have a special detail of cars Metropolitan Unit to
help cover the unprotected spots. When it is it stuck tonight? No use
waiting you fellas. Might as well pass the word down the line. No
time off till the gang's locked up. Okay, we got to get those
funks and get them fast. We got the men in the machine race.
If there's no reason for not stopping them, No excuses understood, Yes,
excuse me, robbery walker, Hello to you. Yeah, I know,
but I can't make its coach now? What will happened? You just go
out ahead and you'll have to explain here? What's that a nickel call?
Yours? Eight pm Thursday, with ourmission of the Commanding General sixth Army,
a total of fifty five men addressed as army officers spread out over the city
to serve as decoys for the hitchhiked bandits. They were well armed and they
traveled in pairs. For the first night, it was the plan to concentrate
in the central area Holland Beck and San Pedro. We started cruising in the
central area at eight o'clock along with the rest of the detail. The time
went slow, midnight came still no sign. We waited out the rest of
the night. In the early morning, nothing happened. We figured on some
action on the weekend Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Nothing happened, seemed like
to hold up. Men somehow had since the decoys and we're staying undercover.
Monday night, February eighth, the same thing all over again. Three am
came and went, no sign. I'm kind of hungry. You want a
hot dog? We can need them in the car. No, you go
ahead, may have you a bag of potato chips. You want to see
if they got them? Okay, I'm right back. Yes, we're one
hot dog, one and give me a bag of those potato chips here too.
But okay, do you want everything on that hot dogs? Everything but
relishes? No, you don't like rather, No, okay, no,
come on, let's skip that hot dog man whatever just came in. Catch
a repeat. I called you ainy of horse, and figure out a shilling
from Okay, hit the siren, let's move. When we got to the
scene, neither of the two victims were identified as police decoys. One of
them had already been placed in the ambulance, then went over to talk to
him. The second victim was still lying in the street, his chest riddled
with bullet wounds. Two figures bent over him, an ambulance attendant and a
priest. I haven't leaved Jerusalem. Why God shall wipe away with tears from
your eyes? Why I shall be no more sorrow, no more sickness,
no more death, Or you will live forever in possession of that happiness which
the eye has not seen, nor the ear hath heard. Neither hath it
entered into the heart of men. But things God hath prepared for them that
love him. Same sad episode, Hey Jack names a victim can't help as
women in the name of the fatherland of the Son and of the Holy ghost
men. Here's your answer. You are listening to dragnets. Wednesday, February
tenth At the inquest, the murder victim was identified as Marine Corps Lieutenant Robert
Paul Lawrence, aged twenty four. The bullets removed from the body at autopsy
were taken to the crime lab where the ballistics men ran them through. They
were fired from the same gun used in the previous hold up shootings by the
Hitchhike Bandits. The companion of the victim at the time his murder, could
add a little to what we already knew as far as the descriptions of the
gun were concerned. The following morning, Ben and I drove out to the
home of the murdered man to interview his father, a colonel Marine Corps retired
black wreath on the door. Yeah, the bait house in it. Yes,
police off so I can try. I'm sorying to maryl Oh. Yes,
I saw you the other day at the Yes. See we hate the
body again. But we'd like to ask you a few questions. Yes,
all right, will you step ahead? Thank you? In this way.
It was a small man, well built with thick snow white hair, combed
straight back and unneath white mustache well trimmed. He walked deliberately with his shoulders
thrown back as he showed us into a large living room richly furnished. The
picture of the Battle of Bellow Woods hung over the large fireplace. The rest
of the pictures in the room were famous Marine Corps officers. Now, gentlemen,
how can I help him? It's about your son, Robert. Uh.
We didn't want to bother you at the inquest. Yes, I guess
I don't have to tell you. Bob's death was a blow. Yes,
he's been staying here with me from time to time since my wife died last
year. How's this big needs people? Just myself? The wife gone,
yes, sir, we'll only take a minute. You see, everything had
been taken from your son, and we'd like to find out if you know
what personal property was carrying at the time he was well, I don't know.
I guess he had the usual things. A few dollars, it's wallet,
Saint Christopher medal, silver and as wild was the same Christopher as a
valuable? Oh not too much, No, not monetarily in that watch?
Well, yes, that was worth something. A pocket was I gave it
to Robert when he was commissioned at Quantico. That's his uh graduation picture on
the mantle here this is Robert, Yes, sir, h huh hind boy
saw it. Robert was a good marine. Do you think you could describe
the watch for us? Gold pocket watch? Caught quite a bit when I
bought it for him. There's some engraving on the inside of the cupboard.
What is it? Says from an old marine to a young one, signed
Dad? Anything else about it? Said? Very fine, you're a friend
of mine. Made to watch and has small chimes inside, and when you
push the lever on a side at chimes the hour or nearest quarter or very
clara. Yes, I see, and as far as you know, then
those are on the value because he had with him. Yes, all right,
Colonel Lawrence, thanks very much. You don't have to rush our Can
I fix a couple of college Stay a while, don't you? I'm signed,
Colonel. We have to get back to the office. Oh well,
let me show you to the door. I hope I have been of some
help to you. Not feeling so helped a lot? Say thank you,
thank you, goodbye? Can nice? Huh oh beautiful FRENCHU everything a man
can will except the sun. For the next six days, we got no
where. Both robbery and homicide details stayed at work on the case. The
city wide decoy plan continued, along with the extra night patrol of Cruiser cars
from the Metropolitan Division. Dozens of leads were received and tracked down. None
of them paid off. We stayed on it. But despite all our work
and one week pitch hike, bandits were credited with sixteen car thefts, eight
actual hold ups, and three more assaults with intent to commit murder. February
eighteenth, two pm. Then and I were called the Captain Walker's office.
What was the door, was he ben? Oh? Yeah, what is
it that both of you know? Berdick here? Theft detailed? Oh sure
you want to tell him what you just told me, buddy, Yeah,
just telling the Captain. I was on night Watch last night with Resnick and
we picked up this guy for grand theft. Auto got him out in a
bowling alley on Vermont. Yeah. Well, Resnick and I didn't think too
much about it. We took him into Central and had him booked. Gave
his name as Clyde Black. As I say, I didn't think too much
about it. But on the way into work, I got to thinking,
this fella comes pretty close to the descript of one of your hitchhike bandits man.
Yeah. He's pretty tall, six two, dark haired, dark eyes,
pretty tough. He's still in jail, he's still there. Anybody else
talked to him besides you, resident me, that's all. Here's the lugshot
we got on him last night. Take a love, let me see it
seems pretty close. He got a home address on him. Yeah, our
place on on the South Flower. Here's a number. Thanks. Oh yeah,
there was something else, certainly kind of funny. What's that when we
booked a guy in last night. Yeah, and in his back pocket he
had a Saint Christopher metal. Ben ed Berdick and I drove out to the
address on south Flower Street, which the prisoner clied Black had listed. His
home address was a rooming house, and the landlord remembered Black, but he
hadn't lived there for two months. He gave us Black's forwarding address, an
apartment on MacArthur Drive. There, the manager told us he hadn't lived in
the building for at least a month. He had moved and left no forwarding
address. We put tracers through on him with DMV our business office, and
with local merchants in the neighborhoods where he had lived. By six thirty pm,
we had an answer an apartment on Pico Boulevard, just east of Alplorado.
At seven o'clock, we were on our way up in the elevator to
the third floor of the apartment house. It's number three oh seven. Must
be down this way. We run down place, musty yall, this is
it? Three oh seven. Somebody's in there. The apartments have backdoors.
Joey want me to cover? Yeah, you better hustle, right, I
don't care. Oh yeah, stop talking? Yeah? What is mail man?
Registered letter? Okay? Give me police officers? Oh you guys popped
up. They're going out the back ben watching where they got him stopped down
back All right, you not cut it? I mean, I mean that's
one of them. One more joe here, there were three. Alright,
let's go insights, come on, Yeah, that's all I'm watch them with
you, Bertie. Yeah, all right, let's look around. Huh.
I take a look and a few uniforms for an army. Before we left
the apartment, we searched it thoroughly and found dozens of personal valuables, watches,
rings, and wallets. There was also a thirty eight caliber colt.
We took the three men downtown and booked them at Central Jail, and we
dropped off the gun if we found at the crime lab for a ballistics cha
eight thirty five pm, we brought suspect Clyde Black to the interrogation room Captain
Walker Ben and I confronted him with the evidence. Here you are, Black,
take a look at these well and I mind, we know that I
saw him before. Watch his jewelry, wallets, say were found in your
apartment, all of them they were. Take a close look auto suft.
That's all you got me on. I want them. I want this stuff
in the crap game. You must be lucky. Crap game. I tell
you, that's how I got it in the crap game. I want to
do it easy, Black. Let's call a stenographer and get it over with.
How much evidence you won? I didn't do it. I get it.
Deerogate you on Friday. Yeah, all of them? Fine, thank
you your gun, Black, They checked it. I didn't do it.
Your gun killed that marine and your prints are all over It was one of
the other guys, Max, Max was him, him and Johnny? You
ready to dictate this date? Put them on the fire. Why me you
talk to Max? Talk to Johnny? Ed you know? Yeah? Yeah,
nice? We got this watch out of your apartment, too black.
How'd you get this? Which? This one right here in the pocket watch?
I don't know. I don't tell us. You want it in the
crap games? Not mine? I never saw it before. Beautiful watch is
engraving on the inside cover. Yeah, look here from an old marine to
a young one. It's not mine. Let me show you how it works.
Push this lever here, see on the side, now, how about
it? I hate it. I hated all of them, everything about them.
That lieutenant I had to kill him. He was gonna get away.
I had to kill him. I had Why did you pick out office that
day? Had a common pushing guys around? I hated them. I hated
it very long as they bombing their bodies. I'll get the stenographer, yeah,
and then knock off and go home. YouTube. Then I had that
chill them. I hated them. I'll tell them that. I'll tell them
like I told you, just like I told you. Yeah, they'll believe
you. Mister. The story you have just heard was true, only the
names were changed to protect the innocent. On June seventeenth, trial was held
in Superior Court, Department eighty seven, City and County of Los Angeles,
State of California. In a moment the results of that trial, Clyde Black
and the other four members of the Hitchhike Bandit gang were tried and convicted in
Superior Court on one count of murder and several counts of robbery and assault with
intent to commit murder. All five are now serving life terms in the state
penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases from official files
Technical Advice Board. Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of Police W.
A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Departments, cartooned for the Stars on NBC
Welcome Back. One thing that has stood out to me this time listening to
the program is how absolutely central her Butterfield was an early Dragnet. Since I've
really learned and just have been recognizing his voice all the time, I'm just
hearing to what degree he was utilized on this series because he played Lee Jones,
but on radio he was far more than that. He's played so many
characters from police captains, a taxi driver. Of course, he was the
titular big grifter, and in this episode he played the agreed father of the
marine lieutenant and did such a good job conveying that motion. Coupled with Jack
Webb's narration, he does all these parts so well, and I think that
being able to use him in all of these character roles maybe part of the
reason why Lee Jones hasn't appeared in as many episodes in recent weeks. I
also thought Thad Brown's little statement on motives was interesting. I don't care what
their reason is. Somebody's robbing and shooting. It's our job to stop them.
That's the trouble with motives. They show up after the murder, and
that's turned out to be the case. Also, the streak of Friday and
Romero being denied food due to crime that was observed a few weeks ago continues.
Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and thank Bruce. Bruce has been one of
our Patreon supporters since March's currently supporting the show at the shamous level of four
dollars or more per month. Thank you, so much for your support,
Bruce, and that will actually do it for today. If you're enjoying the
podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be sure to rate
and review the podcast wherever you download it from. Join us tomorrow for public
domain video theater at videotheater dot Great Detectives dot net, or on our YouTube
channel as we begin to play some episodes of Racket Squad. And of course
we will be back next Saturday on this podcast with another episode of Dragnet.
But join us back here tomorrow as we celebrate four thousand, four hundred episodes
with a very special episode of the Watch Radio Theater where they're giving us petrol.
We'll be in a knowledge in an hour. I'm afraid you can't.
Oh why not, ma'am is The dyke has been abandoned very another They expected
to collapse at any moment. Than if I may use your phone, I'll
have knowledge tenders along. I'm afraid you can't do that either, So whire
is it down. There's no way to communicate with the outside. But we
must be a knowledge before tomorrow. That's impossible, Sergeant. Even at the
rain stops, it will be at least two or three days before three days.
I couldn't stand it. Set. You'd better put the entire stuff on
emergency duty. They're bringing in more casual systems. Why Valery Good, Evening,
doctor Jeff, how do you get here? Valerie Good? Sister Lari
cons the mids Y Coons was on the way to prison to be hanged in
the money. But now they'll just have to wait. Oh, can't you
see it in the newspapers postpone because of rain, just like a. I
hope you'll be with us then in the meantime. Send your comments to Box
thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives,
and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives
from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham, Sign and AF